“I’ll think about it” was all he said, though, if he was honest, the idea held some appeal.
“Okay. That’s where we’ll leave it then.” Hailey picked up the plate. “But at least have another cupcake and if you come to the ranch, there’s more where these came from.”
* * *
“You look lovely,” Nana Beck said in an approving voice. “I especially like your hair like that.”
Shannon’s hand crept to the flowered clip she had, at the last minute, put in her hair. Just for fun, she’d told herself. It had nothing to do with Ben.
Because he wasn’t coming.
“Thanks, Nana.” Shannon glanced at the book bag her grandmother had hanging over her arm. “So tell me again why you’re going to this book-club thingy and not coming out to the barbecue at the ranch?”
Nana flapped her hand at Shannon in a gesture of dismissal. “Oh, I thought it would be nice for you kids to get together without me. Sophie said she wanted to go to the meeting but not by herself so I thought we could do it together.”
“And since when did you and Sophie become such fast friends?” Shannon asked. “A year ago you practically blew a blood vessel every time someone mentioned Arthur’s name and now you’re going to book club with his mother?”
“It wasn’t her fault Arthur was so irresponsible. In fact she told me she feels really badly about it. She would like to tell you, as well, but doesn’t think you would want to hear it from her.”
Shannon’s mind slipped back to the conversation she, Ben and Hailey had had yesterday. Curiously, Ben’s concern and apology had mitigated some of the pain she had carried around too long. And when he had said that she was better off without Arthur, part of her had wanted to cling to those words, fold them up and store them away for the times when self-pity dug its spiteful claws into her.
“You can tell her I’ve moved on, so she doesn’t have to worry.”
Nana lifted one questioning eyebrow. “Really?”
“Yes. Really,” she said with more conviction than she felt. She knew her nana was obliquely referring to the dress still hanging in her bedroom cupboard.
“That’s good then.” Nana smoothed a strand of hair away from her forehead, then gave Shannon a quick smile. “You kids have fun tonight and tell my grandchildren that when this house is shipshape, we’ll have a get-together here.”
“I will.”
Nana bent over and brushed a kiss over her forehead. “I love you, my dear. Never forget that.” She straightened and touched her finger to the gold nugget Shannon wore around her neck. “And I want you to remember, as I told you when I gave you this and the Bible, that God’s love is more faithful than anyone’s.”
Warmth seeped into Shannon’s soul. She smiled back at her nana, thinking of the Bible she had, still packed away in a box in her room, knowing she should take it out and read it again. “I won’t forget.”
“That’s good.” Then Nana frowned as Shannon pulled her coat out of the closet just off the entrance. “Is that what you’re wearing tonight?”
Shannon looked down at the brightly colored plaid shirt she wore over her blue jeans. “Yeah.”
“But…I thought… Shouldn’t you dress up a bit?”
Shannon frowned at her nana. “It’s just a barbecue.”
“But isn’t Ben coming? Sophie said he was.”
Shannon’s frown deepened. “He never said anything about coming when he left this afternoon. To be honest, I kind of hope he doesn’t.”
Really? Then why did it take you so long to pick out your clothes? And why did you tuck that flower in your hair?
Nana looked taken aback at her blunt reply. “Why ever not?”
“Seriously, Nana? He’s the one who came to my house to tell me Arthur didn’t want to marry me. Hardly a good lasting impression.”
Nana looked genuinely puzzled. “That wasn’t his fault,” she protested.
And Ben had apologized about that, but still…
“He’s Arthur’s brother. It’s weird even being around him. He’s the last person I would want to spend more time with.” Shannon spoke the words with more conviction than she felt.
Trouble was, after spending a couple of days with Ben, her resistance to him was shifting and changing and she didn’t like being in that position with him or any man.
Nana sighed. “Please don’t talk like that. I don’t want to see you turn into a bitter old woman because of what Arthur did to you. I remember you saying to Hailey, when she struggled with what to do about Dan, that there are other fish in the sea.”
“But I’m not fishing, Nana,” Shannon said.
Nana sighed as if giving in and patted Shannon’s cheek. “You know I pray for you every day and I still pray that someone may come into your life who will show you that not all men are like Arthur.”
A knock on the door broke into their conversation. And when Nana opened the door, Ben Brouwer stood on the step. His chin was smooth and free of his usual stubble. His hair was brushed and he wore a clean shirt and blue jeans.
And in spite of her protests only a moment ago, Shannon’s heart did a gentle flop.
“I was wondering if you’re still going to the barbecue,” he asked, glancing from Nana to Shannon. “Your grandmother said you might need a ride.”
Shannon fought back the hope rising up in her chest. What was wrong with her? Hadn’t she just told Nana she wasn’t interested in this guy?
Then what he said registered.
“I don’t think I need a ride—”
Nana put her hand on Shannon’s shoulder. “I forgot to tell you, but there’s something wrong with my car and I was hoping to use yours. So having Ben drive you to the ranch would make it easier for me to go to the book club.”
Shannon felt confused as she looked from Ben to her grandmother. “But why don’t I drive you—”
“I don’t want you to rush home from the ranch to pick me up. This is the easiest solution.” Then her nana flashed Ben a grateful smile. “Thanks so much for doing me this favor. Shannon hates missing out on family gatherings.”
Then with another wave and a jingle of Shannon’s car keys, her nana glided out the door, her smile serene.
Ben gave Shannon an apologetic smile as they walked out of the house together. “Sorry about that. I thought she told you.”
“No, I had no clue what was going on,” she said, looking past Ben as Sophie joined her nana by Shannon’s car.
Then, just before they got into the car, they both looked over at Shannon and Ben, now standing on the veranda of the house. When Shannon caught the smug look on her nana’s face she knew there was nothing wrong with Nana’s car. That had been some ruse concocted by her grandmother to get Ben to drive Shannon to the ranch.
Her back stiffened at her nana’s matchmaking machinations.
No way, no how, she thought, not even looking over at Ben as she walked toward his truck. No matter how much finagling Nana does, Ben is a complication I can’t allow in my life.
Chapter Four
“Did Garret say when he was coming back?” Hailey asked as she finished wiping off the large kitchen table.
Dinner was over at Emma and Carter’s home and everyone seemed to know what they were supposed to do except Ben. He had offered to help, but had been waved off and told he was company and to just sit.
“He said he’d be here to stand up for me at the wedding,” Carter replied, drying the last large pot that couldn’t fit in the dishwasher. “But he said he couldn’t stick around and had to head out early the next morning. Gave me some song and dance about big plans afoot.”
“Was that plan G or H?” Shannon asked with a laugh, taking the pot from Carter and putting it in the cupboard.
“Probably K. I can’t keep up with the guy.”
Ben sat back in his chair in one corner of the kitchen listening to the lively banter in the farmhouse where Emma and her son lived. So far he had discovered that Carter and Emma were getting married in a few weeks and that Carter had an identical twin named Garret who currently worked overseas as a consultant in the oil and gas industry, apparently raking in the money.
There was another cousin, Naomi. Every time her name came up the conversation grew more subdued. Apparently her fiancé was dying of cancer and she was at his bedside in Halifax, clear across the country, taking care of him.
A number of times during dinner, Shannon had apologized to Ben for leaving him out, but Ben didn’t mind. He liked listening to the vigorous back and forth of conversation among these family members who had grown up together and had, apparently, spent most of their time on this ranch.
He also didn’t mind seeing how Shannon’s reserve lowered around her family. Her eyes sparkled and as she talked her delicate hands punctuated her comments. And she laughed a lot more.
“Did you hear how he did on those penny stocks he got that big tip on?” Dan, Hailey’s boyfriend and fiancé asked, continuing the conversation.
“If he did well, we’ll hear,” Carter said, tossing his dish towel in a basket beside the stove. “If he lost money, you won’t get that information out of him with a pry bar.”
Carter’s wry observation netted him a laugh.
“What’s a pry bar?” Adam, Emma’s little boy, asked as he and Dan’s daughter, Natasha, came into the kitchen. Adam was a bright boy of five with the same dark brown eyes and hair as his mother, Emma. Natasha, with her long dark hair, could be his sister but for her strong chin, a tiny replica of her father.
As soon as Carter had finished praying after dinner, the two kids had both bolted out of their chairs and headed to the living room, probably to avoid having to help with the dishes.
But no one seemed to hear Adam’s question so he turned to Ben, his brown eyes brightly inquisitive. “Do you know what a pry bar is, Dr. Brouwer?”
“Just Mr. Brouwer.” As soon as Ben spoke the words he regretted his sharp tone, and the puzzled look on the boy’s face only underlined it.
“But my Auntie Hailey said you were a doctor,” Adam replied. “And my mommy always told me I had to call Dr. Henneson ‘Doctor.’ Why don’t you want to be called that?”
The boy’s sudden confusion made Ben feel like a heel. He shouldn’t have been so touchy. He was about to formulate some kind of response when Shannon came limping toward them.
“Adam, honey, why don’t you show me your new colt?” she asked with a bright smile, as if trying to distract the little boy. “Your mom said that she is really pretty.”
“I want to come, too,” Natasha called out.
“Of course you can,” Shannon said, avoiding Ben’s expression of gratefulness for her diversion. She took Natasha’s hand and walked slowly toward the door leading from the kitchen outside, favoring her sore knee. She shot a quick glance over her shoulder to see if Adam was coming.
But Adam, it seemed, wasn’t done with Ben. He turned and grabbed Ben’s hand. “Do you want to come with us and see our foal, Dr.—I mean, Mr. Brouwer? She’s really pretty.”
“I guess…” Ben hesitated, glancing around the kitchen to see if anyone else was coming along, but no one paid much attention to the two of them. And Shannon was already out the door.
“Have you ever seen a foal before?” Adam asked.
“No. I haven’t,” Ben admitted.
“Then you have to come,” Adam said, now tugging on his hand.
He had already caused the boy some discomfort; it would be rude of him not to come along now.
“Of course I’ll come. I’d love to see your colt.” Ben got to his feet, letting Adam lead him around the table.
“Actually she’s a filly, but Carter…my dad…says you can call her a foal, too,” Adam said, leading Ben past Carter, Hailey, Dan and Emma, who still lounged around the kitchen counters, discussing Carter and Emma’s upcoming wedding and who would do what.
“When she’s older, then for sure you have to call her a filly. If she was a boy, you could call her a foal, too, but you would have to call her a colt. If it was a him. I know it’s mixed-up, but you’ll get used to it.”
“Well, then. Thanks for the lesson,” Ben said, unable to suppress a grin at the boy’s matter-of-fact tone.
“Don’t let him talk your ear off,” Emma said with a smile as Adam led him to the door leading outside.
“It’s okay,” Ben said. “I don’t mind.”
“You say that now,” Carter said, playfully flicking his tea towel at Adam. “Wait until he tells you his plans for his tree house.”
Adam stopped and turned to Ben. “Do you want to see my tree house, too?”
Carter gave Ben a sheepish look. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have given him any ideas.”
“You don’t need to give that youngster any ideas,” Hailey put in. “He has more than enough to spare.”
Ben just laughed, then followed Adam out the door.
Sunshine and warmth washed over them and as they walked across the yard Ben’s eyes shifted to the mountains surrounding the ranch. The foothills were carpeted in undulating green that gave way to hard granite, laced with snow higher up their ragged peaks.
On the trip up here Shannon had been surprisingly loquacious, telling him all about the ranch, how it had been in the Beck family for generations. How she and her sisters spent most of their weekends and summers here.
The entire time she talked her face was animated and her eyes sparkled and many times he caught himself unable to look away from her. She was the very epitome of life and vitality, a complete contrast to the reserved persona he had seen since he came to Hartley Creek.
But now, as he gazed at the panorama stretched out before him, he understood her enthusiasm. Everywhere he had gone in Hartley Creek, the mountains had been present, surrounding the town. He sometimes had to remind himself to keep his eyes on the road and stop bending over to catch the sun on the mountains.
Then on the drive here each turn of the roads snaking along the river valley brought new vistas and views more beautiful than the next until they had arrived here.
“Auntie Shannon, wait for us,” Adam called out, pulling Ben toward the red barn ahead of them.
Shannon, limping ahead, holding Natasha’s hand, hadn’t gotten very far so when she stopped and turned around he easily saw the frown on her face.
But her frown quickly morphed into a polite smile as he came closer. “So you brought a friend,” she said to Adam.
“Dr. Brouwer—I mean Mr. Brouwer—has never seen a foal before so I said he had to come.”
“Why did you call him Dr. Brouwer?” Natasha put in, obviously not missing Adam’s correction.
“Because he’s a doctor, but he asked me to not to call him that. He wants me to call him Mr. Brouwer,” Adam said.
This netted him another confused look from Natasha.
“So your filly is inside this barn?” Ben asked, forestalling the questions he could see formulating behind Natasha’s eyes.
Adam thankfully took the hint and, grasping the handle of the large door, started tugging to pull it open. Ben hurried to help him and together they slid the door aside.
A wave of cool air washed over them as they stepped into the shadowy interior. It smelled like hay blended with the musky scent of horse.
As Ben’s eyes adjusted to the weak light he noticed a number of empty stalls along one wall, but a rustling in the far one told him which one held the horse and her baby.
“We have to be quiet,” Adam whispered as he led the way. “We don�
�t want to scare Two Bits.” He walked slowly to the last stall and stepped up on a bale of hay lying in front of the half-wooden door.
Ben followed Adam and looked into the opening of the stall.
And he was overcome with wonder.
A dark brown mare stood inside, shifting her hooves on the straw bedding of the stall, watching them, nickering softly toward the far corner of the stall where the foal lay.
Her head was up, her dark eyes watching them. Her hide was a golden-brown, and her mane, just a brush of hair along the top of her neck, was jet-black. As they watched, she clambered to her feet, still unsteady on long, ungainly legs.
“Oh, she’s so cute,” Natasha breathed, clinging to the edge of the door. “Can I go in and pet her?”
“Not yet.” Shannon rested her elbows on the door, a gentle smile teasing her lips. “I think the mommy would like it better if we just look for now.”
“What are you naming her?” Ben asked, grinning as the colt stumbled toward its mother.
“I want to call it Koocanusa, after the lake, but my mom said that the name is bigger than the filly, so maybe Bolt. Or Flicker.”
“How about Flicka?” Shannon said. “Like in the movie My Friend Flicka.”
“I like Flicka.” Natasha rested her chin on her hands and sighed. “I think she would be fun to ride.”
“Carter…my dad…says it will be a long time before we can ride her,” Adam said. He leaned back, still hanging on to the edge of the door. “But Dusty is the horse I ride until Flicka is big enough.”
The colt stumbled around a bit more; then the mare nudged it closer to her side. But even as Ben watched, his attention was just as much on the woman beside him as the colt in front of him.
She shifted her weight and as her hair brushed his arm he caught the faint scent of her perfume, a flowery scent at odds with the musky smell of the barn. “She’s so cute,” she murmured, her voice full of awe.
They watched the colt awhile, laughing occasionally as she tried to walk around.
“How old does she have to be before you can ride her?” Ben asked.
Healing the Doctor's Heart Page 5
